Athletic field line marker



H. J. RYAN 1,940,606

ATHLETIC FiELD LINE MARKER Filed March 22, 1933 INVENTOR Ham. 6 RYANOLMMQWLQSL Patented Dec. l9 1933 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 1,940,606ATHLETIC FIELD LINE MARKER Herl J. RyanQLos Angeles, Calif. ApplicationMarch 22, 1933. Serial No. 662.035

' 2 Claims. (01. 275-2 This invention relates to improvementsin devicesof the character set'forth in Patent No. 1,882,340 granted to myself,Oct. '11; 1932.

'An object of this'invention' is to provide. a novel .I and moresatisfactory machine for marking off athletic fields of various kinds,for example, the lanes on racing tracks, the boundarylines of tenniscourts, for marking of parking lots and football fields, etc. I r r .10I Another object of the .invention is to provide a machine of thecharacter-referred to which will be easily operated and which willdischarge upon the surface desired, a continuous and measured amount ofdry. lime or other marking ma- .15 terial of finely powdered state evenwhen placed in the machine in a damp or lumpy condition.

Other objects,.advantages and features of the invention may. appear fromthe accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description and 120 theappended claims.

Thelaccompanying drawing illustrates the invention. a l

Figure 1 is aside elevation of the device in position as in use formarking a field.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental vertical sectionstaken on line :c2-x2Fig. 6 showing the operating parts in the same position as in Fig. 1with the feed rotor illustrated in full.

Fig. 3 is. a'view analogousto Fig. 1 showing the device in the restingposition when not in use with the operating parts-in closed position andlocked. i

r Fig. 4 is a fragmentaltopplan view .of zthe handle and operatinglevorand eccentrio disc.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan detail view of vthe eccentric disc. I i

Fig. 6 is a fragment-a1 vertical section taken on line :c6a:6 Fig. 2. pi

Fig. '7 is a fragmental side elevational detail view showing the handlebrackets and method of fixing them to the handle. A fragment of the footand guideis also shown.

. Fig. 8 isa plandetail .view of the foot and guide.. 1 Fig; 9 isanenlarged detail 'view of the feed rotor showing the slots therein andwedge shaped arms.

Fig. -is a fragmental front elevational View showing the guide, restsfixed to the .mixing .50 chamber viewed in the direction indicated bythe line m10-x1() Fig.

Referring to the, drawing there is an oblong containing hopper 1 havingno bottom resting on and fastened to a mixingchamber 2 provided 55 witha concave front 3.

The mixing chamber 2 has a partially circular bottom .4 whichhas aslot-like opening 5 extending the full Width of the. mixing chamben- Thesides 6 of the mixing chamber 2 carry bearings 7 in which revolves theshaft 8 to which is fase 5o; tened the feed rotor 9; I

. Slipped over the shaft and fastened to the handle 10 by the bolt 11are the handle brackets 12 and 13 that prevent excessive shock to themixing chamber and tend to hold the. axle in 6 alignment, Wheels 14 and15v are mounted on shaft 8 and are spaced from the side 6 by means of.tube spacers 16 and the thrust is taken by the washers17. Wheels 14 and15 "are held on the shaft 8 by pins 13 and have a conventional ratchet 7mechanismfwhich allows them to rotate freely on the shaft in a backwarddirection, but forces the shaft 8 to turn in the bearings 7 when theyare revolved in a forward direction.

At the upper end of the handle 10 is aslot l9 in which rooksan operatinglever 20 pivoted on V the'bolt, 21. which is provided with a nut 22 thatholdsthe handle grips 23 to the handle. Loosely fastened to the lowerarm of the lever 20 is the 7 operating rod 24 which slides in an eyeboltguide 25 that in turn partially holds the hopper l to the handle 10. Thelower end of the operating rod 24 is fastened to the shut-off plate 26by a single machine screw 27 in such a manner that a side'wise motion isallowed but not a vertical motion. 3

-The shut-off plate 26 is held up against the bottom 4 by the retaining,strips 28 and 29 and slides between guide strips 30 and 3 1 in such aclose it to any degree desired. Fastened to the retaining strips 28 and29 is the flexible cup or wind-break 32 which 'isopen at the bottom and.on the rear side.

An oscillating foot and guide 33'v of V shaped construction nearits'front with parallel sides and prongs 34 loosely mounted in thebrackets 12 and 13"acts as-a' guide'or sight as shown in Fig. 1 and as afoot as shown in Fig. 3.

This combination foot and guide pivots in holes in the handle brackets12 and 13 by means of its .tened'tothe sides 6 of the mixing chamber.This construction permits a portion of the weight of' the marker, whenitis stood upright as. shown -in Fig. 3 to be transmitted to the guide rsts 45. The two wheels 14 and 15 then act in conjunction with the footand guide 33 as a tripod with the center of gravity of the machine beingat a point between the vertical center of the axle 8 and the V shapedpoint of the part 33. machine cannot tip forward as it is restrained bythe part 33'through the guide rests 45 which are fastened to the sides6. The center of gravity of the machine prevents the machine fromtipping the opposite wayor backward unless force is used to overcomethis, such as the operator pulling backward on the handle and holdinghis foot against the wheel. This would then throw the center of gravityto the other side of the axle and allow the machine to tip. When this isdone and the machine is positioned as shown in .Fig. 2 the foot andguide 33 is then acted upon by gravity and consequently pivots upon itsprongs 34 in the holes in the handle brackets 12 and 13 and drops downuntil the lower ends of the guide rests 45 restrain its fall. The lengthof these guide rests 45 are made such that the V shaped point of thepart 33 rests just high enough to clear ordinary stones and obstructionson the ground when the machine is held in'the' highest probableoperating position. The V shaped point of the part 33 is then in linewith the operators eyes and the guide line to be followed and can beused as a sight strip in a manner similar to that used when sighting arifle at a target.

'On the upper side of the handle 19 just forward from theupper arm ofthe operating lever 20 is an eccentric disc 35 mounted to revolve on thebolt 36 and having a washer 37 and lock washer 37a between the disc andhandle 10 and a wing nut 38 above the disc to lock the disc when rotatedto different positions.

The hole 35a in the disc 35 is drilled 01f center so that as the disc isrevolved the point at the circumference of the disc nearest to and inline with the operating lever is of variable distance from the center onwhich'the disc rotates. This distance varies to an amount equal tothedifference of thelong and short radii of the disc. In consequence thedistance between the edge of the disc and the center of the operatinglever can be varied by rotating the disc on its axis bolt 36 andlocking-it in any position desired. The forward throw of the operatinglever is then increased or decreased according to the setting of thedisc and the opening of slot 5 thus increased or decreased to producethe desired flow of material. Numbers may be stamped on the upper sideof the disc around the outside edge at regular intervals so that theoperator may accurately set the disc at the desired position.

- The feed rotor 9 consists of a central web having openings 38 in itand a central hub 39 which is fixed to the shaft 8 by a screw 39a andaround the periphery and equally spaced are arms 40 having sharp wedgedshape edges 41 which extend the full length of the arms. a I

The sharp edges 41 will not permit lime or marking material to collectbetween the 'arms and the circular bottom of the mixing chamber.

These wedge shaped'edges not only carry the material around to the slotlike opening but also have a tendency to force a small amount ofmaterial downward as it passes the slot opening.

Hopper l is preferably provided with a cover 42 which slides on the topas at 43 and may be operated by graspingthe end 44 to open or close thetop of the hopper.

In operation a quantity of dry, lumpy or damp lime or other markingmaterial is placed in the The hopper l and drops down into the mixingchamber surrounding the rotor 9. The sight guide and rest 33 is thenaligned with the desired mark or string" and the operator sets theeccentric disc 35 for the desired amount of opening of slot 5. Theoperator then pushes the lever 20 forward against the disc 35 andpropels the machine forward to form the line mark. As the wheels 14 and15 turn forward the ratchets-work and cause shaft 8 to turn in bearings6 and revolves the feed rotor 9. Whenthe rotor 9 revolves the wedgeshaped arms 40 crush the lumps and cause the mixing chamber to be filledwith powdery lime or other marking material. Then the succeeding wedgeshape arms coming around will keep a measured amount of lime forcedthrough the slot-like opening. This will fall on the surface beingworked and will be protected from being scattered by the wind-break 32.

When the operator has reached the limit of the line he pulls the lever20 'backward'so that the lower arm buttsagainst the bolt '36'and causesthe opening 5 to be closed. As he pulls the machine backward the-wheels14 and 15 will rotate freely .on the shaft 8 and thus allow the rotor 9to remain stationary and consequently prevent undue packing of the lime.or'material in the mixing chamber when'pulling the machine considerabledistance to the field to be marked.

The shut-off strip 26 provides a means 'for regulating the'amount ofmarking material to be discharged so that the operator can mark out athin or a heavy line ashe desires. By manipulating the operating rod 24and the shut-off plate 26 the operator opens or closes theslot 5 asdesired.

The wind-break 32 is made of flexible material the objects orprojections which may protrude I upward from the surface to be markedwill not impede the forward motion'of the marker or in- 115 jurethemachine in any way and in'addition the downward dropping markingmaterial will .be

protected from the scattering action of the wind.

Attention is directed 'to the fact that with my invention it is possibleto quickly and easily mark scribed or illustrated in the drawing, but isof the scope set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1; A device of the character set forth comprising an oblong hopper and amixing chamber having a concave front; a feed rotor revolvably mountedin said chamber and provided with a plurality of arms equally spacedhaving sharp wedged shape edges on their outer sides that ,ex-. tend thefull length of the arms and semi-circular. spaces between said arms; arevolvable shaft carriedby the chamber and upon which said feed rotor ismounted; wheels mounted on said shaft; a handlefixed to the hopper andprovided at its upper end with a slot in which rocks an operating leveron a pivot; handle brackets slipped over said shaft and being fastenedto said handle; tube spacers mounted-on said shaft and interposedbetweensaid brackets and wheels; guide rests fixed to the sides of saidmixing chamber; an'oscillating foot and guide having a V shapedconstruction near its front provided with parallel 1151? sides andhaving prongs loosely mounted in said brackets andsaid foot and guideslides within said guide rests to form at one time a guide and atanother a foot rest.

2.-A device for discharging a continuous and unwavering line of markingmaterial comprising an oblong bottomless hopper resting on and fastenedto a mixing chamber having a concave front; a feed rotor in said chamberprovided with a plurality of arms equally spaced having sharp wedgeshape edges on their outer sides that extend the full length of saidarms and large semicircular spaces between said arms; a revolvable shaftcarried by the chamber and upon which said feed rotor is mounted; wheelsmounted on .said shaft; a handle fixed to said hopper and provided atits upper end with a slot in which rocks an operating lever on a pivot;a. bolt in said handle just forward from the upper arm of said lever; aneccentric disc mounted to revolve on said bolt and a washer and lockwasher between the disc and handle and a winged nut above the disc tolock the disc when rotated to different positions; retaining strips;guide strips; said chamber having a slot-like opening in its bottomextending the full width of said chamber; a shut-

